How to avoid a China-Japan conflict at sea

On June 9, Japan's Defense Ministry said a Japanese naval destroyer had detected a Chinese frigate entering the waters near Diaoyu Islands (which the Japanese call Senkaku Islands) and lodged a serious protest with the Chinese ambassador to Tokyo. And Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said it was the first time a Chinese naval ship had entered the waters contiguous of the island chain.

The truth became clear gradually: the Japanese destroyer had actually seen a Russian flotilla, and only after the Japanese ship ventured into the waters off the island chain (apparently to check out the Russian flotilla) that a Chinese frigate did so to monitor the Japanese vessel.

For Japan, a Chinese naval vessel entering the waters off the Diaoyu Islands indicates that Beijing probably wants to take new risks to escalate tensions in the already volatile waters. Japanese media say that if China's actions go unchecked, its naval vessels will one day enter the 12-nautical-mile territorial sea of the islands, leading to a showdown between Beijing and Tokyo.